THE POWER GENERATORS

Batteries have gone high-tech. For retailers, this translates into a growth segment that is delivering more profit.The segment was spawned with Duracell's rollout in 1999 of its Ultra that created a second tier to Duracell's Copper & Black line. In a short period, Ultra has reached the No. 4 sales position of the top 10 brands with sales of $225 million for the 52 weeks ending Sept. 10, according

Batteries have gone high-tech. For retailers, this translates into a growth segment that is delivering more profit.

The segment was spawned with Duracell's rollout in 1999 of its Ultra that created a second tier to Duracell's Copper & Black line. In a short period, Ultra has reached the No. 4 sales position of the top 10 brands with sales of $225 million for the 52 weeks ending Sept. 10, according to Information Resources, Chicago. Last month, Duracell, backed by parent Gillette C